


The death sentence of Peter Nureyev

by magznus



Series: Jupeter fics [5]
Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Eating Disorders, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Death, Passing Out, Post-Episode: s03e13-14 Juno Steel and the Mega-Ultrabots of Cyberjustice, most likely, sort of more like not eating out of stess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:55:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25483522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magznus/pseuds/magznus
Summary: Peter Nureyev had never considered himself a brave man. He had lived in the shadows his entire life, running away from anyone and everyone that posed even a mild inconvenience. He worked in dark rooms and back alleys and disappeared into the night long before danger could find him.Being turned over the to the Brahma government had never been a part of the plan, nor had spending his last night in an old cell in a rotted down jail. He had spent the last six months of his life living a double agent, living as part of a family who he was supposed to betray in the end. But things like that never seemed to go according to plan.
Relationships: Peter Nureyev & Juno Steel
Series: Jupeter fics [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1602751
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	The death sentence of Peter Nureyev

Peter Nureyev had never considered himself a brave man. He had lived in the shadows his entire life, running away from anyone and everyone that posed even a mild inconvenience. He worked in dark rooms and back alleys and disappeared into the night long before danger could find him.  
Being turned over the to the Brahma government had never been a part of the plan, nor had spending his last night in an old cell in a rotted down jail. He had spent the last six months of his life living a double agent, living as part of a family who he was supposed to betray in the end. But things like that never seemed to go according to plan.  
Somewhere down the line, they realized that there was a hefty bounty on Peter Nureyev’s head. One that was worth more than anyone else in the crews combined. New Kinshasa had always had far too much money than they had use for.  
And so, Peter Nureyev found himself here. Sitting in a cell waiting for morning to come, waiting for his own execution. Apparently he was considered too much of a threat to let stay alive for longer than necessary. He had already searched the cell, they had prepared for him, there was no possible exit. Not without help. And the only people he would have ever thought would come to his rescue, well he had burned that bridge when he went behind their backs and stole from them.  
He didn’t sleep, just sat against the wall, and waited. Outside the guards switched out in an almost frantic order. One that he had no hopes of memorizing. The old light from outside was a small crack in the ceiling above him, letting in the light of the moons. If he had a few weeks he could probably chip away at it enough to bring the whole wall down. But that was wishful thinking.  
Before long the sun rose, and guards came in to fetch him. They lead him through impossibly disorienting corridors, up and down sets of stairs that exhausted him. All the while they were followed by cameras, all with the recognizable logo of the Kanagawa family. Peter chucked to himself the first time he noticed it. Of course the execution of the galaxies most wanted terrorist was going to be spread across the entire universe. Broadcast to every plant so that everyone knew, they had won. And he had lost.  
He expected something showier, something extravagant and lavish. After all, this was being produced by the Kanagawa family. But instead, it was a small room, two doors, and a single chair in the middle. Guards stood at both doors as he was lead to the chair and strapped securely down.  
He watched as someone he could only assume to be the executioner walked in through the far door. Their face was obscured and they held a single small syringe in their hand.  
Peter did his best to keep his face blank, no point in adding to the drama by crying or hyperventilating like he so much wanted to. Instead, he sat perfectly still and stared blankly ahead. Above him someone began to read off his crimes, he didn’t listen. He knew exactly why he was there.  
The executioner approached him, holding their hand just at his throat. He could feel the cold of the metal against the delicate skin, and then.  
Darkness.  
Quite literally. All of the lights in the room went out. And by the sound of it so did the lights in the rest of the building. The guards began to murmur quietly, asking questions, and beginning to move around the room. Peter felt the executioner pull away while someone stepped up behind him and grabbed onto his shoulder. They pushed him back against the chair as though he was going to try and break free and held him firmly in place.  
Somewhere outside of the room there was a shout, and then silence. In the pitch-black Peter had to force himself to even his breaths and relax his poster, there was no point in doing anything else. It washing like he was going anywhere.  
The door on the far side of the room opened, Peter could just make out a blinking red light before a pulse went off and filled the room. Around him, the guards all let out a shout and it sounded like they fell to the ground.  
A single set of footsteps moved across the room and approached Peter. He did his best to remain calm as he felt them silently move closer until they were standing above him. Somehow they could see in the blackness and suddenly there were hands grabbing on to him and pulling at the restraints keeping him in the chair.  
He jerked away from them in surprise, his tight grip on his emotions beginning to slip as they worked silently. His breath began to pick up as he tried to pull his hands back while they were still stapped down. Panic building in his throat at the feeling of someone he didn’t know and couldn’t see touching him.  
The hands suddenly stopped what they were doing and moved up to his face, grabbing him gentling as they moved forward so that he could feel their breath on his face.  
“Shhh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you just a second and I’ll get you out of here.”  
Peter gasped, confused. “Juno?”  
He chuckled a soft noise that was so different from the Juno he had met. “Who else?”  
Juno’s hands moved away from Peter’s face and back down to his arms, getting back to work on the restraints. Soon enough he was free and being pulled upwards into a hug. Arms wrapped around him and held him up for just a moment as Juno let out an almost happy sigh.  
And then the alarms started screaming, and they were running. Juno holding onto Peter as he led the way through the pitch-black hallways. They moved downwards, into colder, smaller, halls where the air was stale and musky. Juno seemed to be navigating the way just fine, Peter was clinging to his hand desperately running blind behind him and hoping that they were headed somewhere safe.  
He almost laughed when Juno stopped suddenly, causing Peter to slam into his back almost comically. There was a clicking noise before a door in front of them swung open. Blinding light filled the hallway, Peter had to close his eyes, bringing his hand up to block the pain. Juno kept walking forward and suddenly his had wasn’t wrapped around Peters.  
Still blinded, he stood there completely still, feeling like the rug had been tugged out from under him. And then it was like the last few days caught up to him all at once. He hadn’t eaten in days, the nerves of betrayal making him too sick to eat anything, and it wasn’t like death row needed him to have a full stomach.  
His eyes adjusted to the light just as his legs gave out. He saw Juno a few feet away, opening the door to the ruby 7. His back was turned and Peter couldn’t find the energy to call out to him.  
Juno turned around, seeming to say something, or maybe yell. Peter wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure about a lot of things. Somehow he was laying down and didn’t know how that happened. And Juno was running to him, now definitely yelling.  
Peter thought that maybe, he felt Juno’s hand in his hair before losing consciousness.  
\-----  
There was a soft humming around him, familiar and calming. He was laying under warm blankets that smelled like the musk of a certain PI. Somewhere someone was cooking curry, and he could smell it all the way from the kitchen.  
He was alone in the room, though he wasn’t entirely sure whose room he was in. Peter tried opening his eyes, but he hardly had the energy to feel his eyelids twitch. Exhaustion sat in every bone in his body, making them heavy and impossible to move. He drifted in and out of consciousness for a while, not in control of his own body, and too tired to do much else than sleep.  
\-----  
The next time Peter was fully awake he had more energy. Opening his eyes slowly to find himself lying in his own bed on the carte blanch. Nothing had changed since the last time he was there, everything was in its place right where he left it.  
There was a dip in the bed, just next to his hip. He hadn’t noticed it until it shifted slightly and moved. ////Quickly Peter closed his eyes, feigning sleep before they could see him.  
They moved slowly, as though they had just woken up themselves. Peter felt as they stretched their arms out and sat up. He figured they had been sleeping with their head on the bed, and now they were just sitting there, watching him. Peter hated it. Hated being watched and having no control over it.  
“Nureyev.” Juno practically whispered. “Are you awake?”  
Peter didn’t respond, keeping as still as possible. He knew that the second he let Juno know he was awake he would have to face the inevitable. So he lied as still as possible, keeping his breathing even and steady.  
Juno sighed, “I suppose not. Vespa said you’re going to be out for a while, something about stress and starvation. God, I should have known, I mean she said it looks like you hadn’t eaten in over a week! I just didn’t notice you not eating! How did I not notice?” He was upset, but his voice never got louder than a whisper. It seemed almost like he was doing his best not to wake Peter up.  
As he talked, Juno reached down and grabbed onto Peter’s hand, holding it gently in his own. It took all of his self-control not to let himself flinch at the sudden contact. Juno’s hand was warm as he turned Peter’s over, running his thumb over the soft skin carefully.  
“Nureyev?” Juno’s voice perked up. “Nureyev, did I wake you up?”  
It wasn’t too much effort for Peter to scrunch his eyes as though he was just waking up. Squeezing Juno’s hand in his, knowing it’s most likely the last time he will ever get the chance.  
“Hey, Nureyev can you open your eyes? Come on you can do it.”  
Juno dropped his hand, and Peter’s heart with it. For a moment he fought back tears as the warmth of Juno left him. But then, a finger traced just under his eye. Wiping away a tear he couldn’t stop from falling.  
“Peter? Hey, it’s okay. Nureyev, What wrong?” Juno’s hand cupped Peter’s face “Just open your eyes for me okay?”  
Peter didn’t want to. He wanted to stay in the little bubble, with Juno holding him as he laid in bed and never have to wake up.  
Peter opened his eyes.  
Leaning over him was Juno, looking at him with worry etched into his face. He looked tired, and there were creases on his face from where he had been sleeping earlier.  
“Hey, how are you feeling?”  
“I’m fine, detective.” Peter’s voice was rough and jagged as he spoke.  
Juno leaned away for a moment and came back with a glass of water. “Here, drink something. You had us really worried there for a while.”  
“Worried?”  
Juno scoffed lightly, “Yeah, you’ve been out of commission for almost four days.”  
“Oh, I didn’t think.”  
“What that not eating for a week before going on a mission was a bad idea?”  
Peter didn’t respond, instead taking another sip from the cup. Juno was no longer touching him and it almost burned where Peter could still feel his hands.  
“Nureyev?”  
“Hm?”  
“You spaced out for a second, I asked if you were hungry.”  
“Oh, Yes I suppose I am.”  
“Good. I mean I was going to force you to eat either way but now it’ll be easier. Wait here, I’ll go grab some food.”  
Juno stood and was gone before he could protest. Peter tried not to fidget while he waited, occupying himself by slowly moving into a sitting position. It was difficult on his own, his arms were week and he was exhausted. He had only just barely settled when Juno returned.  
“Hey, I could have helped. You don’t have to do everything on your own you know.” As he walked closer to the bed Peter could here the biter tone his words took.  
“Juno I-”  
“What you need, is to eat something. Then we can talk.”  
“Alright.”  
Juno had brought him a bowl of curry, it was good even if Peter could tell that it had been reheated. He didn’t realize how hungry he was until he began eating and it was easy to sit in silence as he finished the bowl.  
Taking the empty bowl away Juno sighed. “You could have told us you know? We could have helped. But no, you had to do it on your own like always.”  
“Juno I’m so sorry. I...My depts and the people I own them too have loomed over me for years and if I didn’t pay them then-”  
“Wait, Nureyev stop. Do you seriously think that’s what I’m upset about?”  
“I mean yes, I stole them you and-”  
“Peter! I don’t care about that, like at all. I mean we didn’t have any use for any of that, we have the cure-mother. I don’t think anyone cares that you stole from us. No, Just, let me talk okay? We are all so angry with you, don’t get me wrong. We are angry that you took off without an explanation, that you thought that you couldn’t trust us, and don’t even get me started on the fact that you were about to be Executed when I got to you! I mean, you almost died because you refused to ask for help! And now, how are we supposed to trust that this isn’t going to happen again? How do we know that you aren’t going to take off and get your self killed again?”  
Peter sat there speechless, he was tired, and confused, and honestly terrified that the second they reached another habitable planet Buddy would have him thrown off the ship for good. So he just sat there, staring at Juno.  
“Nureyev, did you hear me?” The anger on his face disappeared. “Hey, Peter, listen to me okay? We were worried sick about you, we had no idea where you went, and then...Rita just happened to turn on the news just in time to see your face being blasted across every feed in the galaxy. Do you know how terrified I was.” At some point Juno had started crying, Peter wasn’t sure he had ever seen Juno cry before.  
“Juno...I don’t…”  
Juno sniffed “You almost died Nureyev,”  
“Oh Juno, I didn’t mean to, I mean I didn’t think you would ever see me again.”  
“What, so you planned to get put on death row?”  
“No of course not, I just honestly didn’t think that after everything, I would…”  
“Would what Nureyev?”  
“I didn’t think any of you would want me back okay? I mean I stole from you, I went behind your backs, why in the world would anyone on this ship what someone like me to stick around?”  
“Peter,”  
“Tell me it’s not the truth! Tell me that Buddy hasn’t already picked the perfect planet in the middle of nowhere to leave me to rot.” Peter know his voice was bitter but he didn’t care, it was the truth.  
“Nureyev! What the hell are you talking about? We aren’t going to just abandon you. You know we wouldn’t do that!”  
“Do I?”  
“I...I mean I would hope you knew we wouldn’t. I mean I’m not the most trusting person, you know that, and I know that these are people we can trust. They aren’t going to just kick you out the second you mess up. Yeah, you made a mistake, but as far as I can tell everyone was more worried about you than angry.”  
“Oh please, I’m sure Vespa was ecstatic when she found out that I was a wanted criminal, gives her the perfect excuse to have Buddy kick me off. Oh! And they all know the truth about Peter Nureyev now. What’s the point in lying about it, Juno?”  
“You weren’t there when we saw the stream, Peter I don’t think I’ve ever seen Vespa look that shocked. And don’t get me started on Buddy. Though I think I heard something about ‘wondering what had happened to the kid who took down New Kinshasa’. They aren’t mad at you, I mean at first yeah. But I think spending a night on death row and almost dying from starvation lightened them up a little bit.”  
“So they aren’t kicking me off the team.”  
“No, we aren’t kicking you out of the family” Juno emphasized family like it was something important, to be cared for.  
“Oh.”  
“Yeah” Juno sighed “Did you really think we were going to just abandon you, after everything?”  
“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Peter knew how low of a blow that sounded, but he also knew that Juno understood. He knew how many times Peter had messed up and been left behind, and how much hurt Peter still carried with him.  
“Well we won’t, I promise.” Juno leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, “Now, if you’re up to it, I think Buddy wanted to have one of her famous family meetings the second you woke up and we are running, oh about an hour late.”


End file.
